- Joined
- Feb 8, 1999
- Messages
- 18,425
- Real Name
- Robert Harris
There's something that disturbs me about "Complete," or occasionally "Compleat" collections.
They are, for a while, and then they aren't.
Who would take a bet that there will never be another film in the Halloween canon?
That said, at least for the time being, this particular "Complete," courtesy of Anchor Bay and Scream Factory, is just that.
Ten feature films, plus an exclusive Blu-ray of the Unrated Producer's Cut of H6. Both of the Rob Zombie takes on the subject are Unrated.
Hidden neatly away (I had to search for it) as a second disc in the Halloween II (2009) case, was a special Blu-ray, loaded with (mostly) new special features.
These films have been released so many times, in so many formats, and in varying quality, that it's difficult to keep track.
For the casual viewer -- that would be yours truly -- the new boxed set is a superb means of keeping everything together, especially as they're now (newly) packaged in elegant black cases.
What's special here, for anyone who desires to own the entire series, and does not, is the price -- currently $110 on Amazon for 15 discs. A bargain, at least as a pre-order.
I checked a few of the discs to see if they appeared any different from previous versions, and didn't see anything abhorrent. Quality varies, with a few titles being less far than stellar.
I did spend some time with the new special disc of H6 -- the Producer's Cut, and came away extremely pleased.
Presumably, this was the latest transfer, and it looks terrific.
A wonderfully stable image, with superb color, blacks, shadow detail, and a totally film-like grain structure.
I came away extremely impressed. Audio is now DTS-HD MA, and measures up to the quality of the image.
I've not the time to go through the other titles, but those who are fans are aware of their positive and negative attributes. If one knows there Halloween home videos, new elements are hidden on various discs, with certain extras exclusive to the Deluxe Edition.
You'll find the Television Cut of Halloween II on Disc 4;
Disc 9 is the Producer's Cut of H6;
Disc 10 includes new commentaries and featurette material for H20
For completists, the new Complete Collection gathers together all of the various multi-disc editions.
Might I be missing something?
Probably, as the set is huge.
Bottom line, if your a fan, you get the Producer's Cut and a myriad of extras, along with a monograph by Michael Gingold...
and last but not least -- all black cases.
I can only rate H6 Producer's cut:
Image - 5
Audio - 5
For those who are huge fans, or don't yet have the set, it's...
Recommended.
RAH